The staff show the name of the panda cub. (Photo: Ouwehands Zoo)

Brussels (People’s Daily) - The panda cub in Ouwehands Zoo of the Netherlands got its name Friday: Fan Xing.

‘Fan’ is the abbreviation for Fan Gao, the Chinese name for Van Gogh. Van Gogh is among the most well-known Dutch artists in China, so the word Fan could be seen as a connection to the Netherlands. Xing is from the cub’s father Xing Ya. ‘Xing’ means star in Chinese, which symbolizes hope and the right direction.

The panda cub was born on 1 May this year. "This cub was born and conceived naturally," said Ouwehands owner Marcel Boekhoorn.

Ouwehands Zoo launched a voting competition to name the new panda cub three weeks ago, giving five Chinese names: He Kang, He Shun, Fan Xing, Dan Qing and Xing He for voters worldwide to cast their vote. The names were compiled in consultation with the Chinese Embassy and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Over 22,000 votes were cast worldwide. It was a close race, but Fan Xing was the favorite in the end, said Boekhoorn. “We follow the Chinese tradition to name the cub,” “In China, the tradition is to name the cub after 100 days. That day is August 14, 2020. So we organized the naming ceremony today.”

The name was announced during a small private gathering at Ouwehands Zoo, attended by delegates from the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands and Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The zoo said the parent giant pandas Wu Wen and Fan Xing will remain in the maternity den for the time-being. The keepers closely monitor Fan Xing’s development with video footage. Fan Xing has to grow, learn how to walk and follow its mother, Wu Wen, before the family can go and explore the rest of the enclosure together.

Zoo visitors will get their first glimpses of Fan Xing in October 2020, said the zoo.